For all practical purposes, we do NOT have an administrator for these Boards, except for dire situations and emergencies (e.g., the boards failing to work at all.) Anything less is cosmetic, and at the present time, we have no way of handling. Yes, it’s a dreadful way to handle a business (with no backup for the single administrator); yes, it’s inconsiderate of members; yes, it’s a strain on moderators; but it’s the way the Chicago Sun-Times has chosen to run these boards.
With all due respect to the staff here at the SDMB, you’re getting hosed by the Chicago Sun-Times. Feel free to thank the publication after I have left the room.
There is a problem in The Game Room, although it’s admittedly nowhere near a catastrophic problem. It is, for the most part, a minor to middling aggravation for those very few of us that would like to use that particular forum for something other than Game Threads. The current proposed ‘fix’ is clearly designed to circumvent the absentee administrator, and shifts the (again admittedly) minor burden of a clumsy remedy onto us lowly participants.
So please, managerial staff at the Chicago Sun-Times, return administrative rights to someone on the SDMB staff with the will to actually operate and maintain this message board. I nominate anybody but whomever is not quite doing it now.
Right before my last apartment building went into foreclosure, the writing was all over the wall that things were heading down the drain with the company that owned it. They stopped answering phone calls, emails bounced back, and most telling of all - the people that normally kept the grounds of the building maintained just stopped doing so. They either quit or just didn’t give a shit, or maybe there was just one guy - maybe even named Jerry - that had to take care of it, and he didn’t have the time or the inclination to do so.
I guess what I’m saying is that I’ve been through this before.
No one with any power is going to see this. It’s sad, I agree, but we’re batting our heads against a brick wall here. Screaming in the dungeon, and the castle is empty.
The newspaper business is pretty much in the toilet, on account of the internet and iPhones and all that. They’ve got bigger issues than worrying about a Message Board.
The OP of this thread was about a new game forum.
As Dex has said a few times above, the mods have talked about it at length again over the last few days.
And, like last time, the opinions were not unanimous. There were good points made by all sides and many different suggestions, but–in the end–it was decided that a new forum is still just not needed at this point.
Now since that issue has been asked about and decided on, I’m going to close this thread, because it’s starting to go off track.
If you want to discuss the boards and staff as a whole (something this thread was starting to turn into), that’s fine, but please make a new thread about it.
LATE NOTE:
We have started a policy of labeling game-threads (on a purely voluntary basis) to see if that helps. The idea is that those who WANT game-threads can find them more easily, and those who DON’T want more game-threads can eyeball over them without having to read the whole title to decide.
There’s a thread in The Game Room sticky at top to get input on whether this is helpful.
It should be noted that the mod staff is NOT going to mark your threads for you – you need to mark them as you make them.
And not just GAME – though it was my understanding it’s not a problem finding game threads – if you indicate the content of your thread in a way that is consistent like, say [SPORTS] then you can do a Google search for those threads and get them all at once. Then you can subscribe to the threads you want to follow and you’re good to go.
Good luck to all following their passions in The Game Room.